226 JOHN EVELYN 



the most considerable about the Citty. It has 4 fronts, 

 and a noble Piazza before it. . . . In the garden are 

 many fine fountaines, the walls cover'd with citron trees, 

 which being rarely spread invest the stone worke intirely ; 

 and towards the streete, at a back gate, the Port is so 

 handsomely cloath'd with ivy as much pleas'd me. About 

 this Palace are many noble antiq bassirelievi,twoespecialy 

 are placed on the ground, representing armor and other 

 military furniture of the Romans ; beside these stand 

 about the garden numerous rare statues, altars, and 

 urnes. Above all, for antiquity and curiosity (as being 

 the onely rarity of that nature now knowne to remaine) 

 is that piece of old Roman paynting representing the 

 Roman Sponsalia, or celebration of their marriage, 

 judged to be 1400 yeares old, yet are the colours very 

 lively and the designe very intire, tho' found deepe in 

 the ground. For this morcell of paynting's sake onely 

 'tis sayd that Borghesi purchased the house, because 

 this being on a wall in a kind of banqueting house in 

 the garden could not be removed, but passe with the 

 inheritance. 



I went farther up the hill to the Pope's Palace at 

 Monte Cavallo, where I now saw the garden more 



